High Dynamic range


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The D-Rex is a revolutionary hardware system for intelligent,
real time, non-linear image correction
and enhancement to dynamic range and colour.

Based on an exquisite analysis and implementation of the non linear properties of the human visual system by Apical and manufactured by Storenet of Japan, D-Rex offers the following features:

Enhance real time, 8 or 10 bit HD/SD-SDI vide
Preserve natural colours, including skin tone
Automatic correction to poor lighting – optimise under or over exposure without sacrifice of highlight or lowlight detail
With algorithms based on the human visual system, it corrects on a stand-alone, pixel by pixel basis with a unique tone curve for each pixel
Use for OB and sports; location shooting; documentary; studio; crash cam; steady-cam
Select corrected output from any of up to 4 inputs per device via simple user interface
Throughput delay only 6 lines of video


	At NAB 2008 we were proud to announce that the D-Rex won one of the exclusive Mario awards from TV Technology magazine. First organized in 1993, the Mario Awards were established to recognize products that represent significant technical breakthroughs that regularly go on to significantly impact the future of audio and video technology.

So what does it actually do? Consider you are standing on a brightly lit street, looking into a relatively dim shop window. The human eye is able to perceive detail in the window that a camera could not. It does this because the human visual system is actually non linear - there are a variety of pre-processing detail enhancements applied at the back of the retina and within the optic nerve that allow a variable tone curve to be applied to each individual ”pixel” within the eye.




		Split screen still image showing the D-Rex enhancement

Apical’s analysis and subsequent implementation of this effect is ideal for broadcast applications where high contrast images might be encountered or where balanced lighting is not available such as OB sports, news gathering or single camera documentary making.

For post production, the unit can offer the equivalent of an unattended “balancing” of dailies which can be very useful to low budget productions or for fast turnaround - run the takes through the unit and re-record back to tape or dvd.


	There are 4 user selectable, programmable preset buttons, and a simple push/rotate menu system for setting the controls. It can be powered from the mains or from a 12V battery.


	Below is a simple, low resolution wmv example from a consumer cam-corder with the output converted to SDi using a composite to SDi mini converter from BPR (see mini converters) recorded as an avi and then converted to Windows Media using Windows Movie Maker. Excuse the quality, but note the contrast enhancement as the effect is toggled on and off!


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